In a major breakthrough, Kalyan police have dismantled a notorious gang impersonating officers to dupe innocent citizens. The Kolsewadi Police Station team arrested eight suspects in connection with a Rs 5 lakh fraud case, recovering Rs 2.36 lakh in cash, two Scorpio vehicles used in the crime, and nine mobile phones.
The scam targeted Deepak Shinde from Waghole, Pune. The fraudsters lured him with a promise of exchanging Rs 5 lakh for Rs 7 lakh in higher denomination notes. They instructed him to arrive at Vitthalwadi Railway Station in Kalyan East with the cash. Upon arrival, accomplices staged a drama with fake currency notes. Suddenly, three to four men emerged from a Scorpio SUV, posing as police officials, and began interrogating Shinde and his companion.
In a swift maneuver, they grabbed the bag containing Rs 5 lakh from Shinde’s hands, bundled the money exchanger into their vehicle, and sped away. Alerted immediately, Kolsewadi Police registered a case under Crime Number 103/2026 and launched a high-tech investigation using mobile location tracking and technical analysis.
Tracking the Scorpio (MH-04-GD-7823) heading towards the old Pune Highway, police alerted Talegaon Dabhade station. A barricade at Somatne Phata toll plaza led to the capture of four fugitives. Meanwhile, the remaining suspects fled via Alandi road towards Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar). With Rahuri Police’s assistance, a second blockade nabbed the rest.
The arrested include Sanjay Nagojirao Bhosle (56), Gauspak Gulam Hussain Sheikh (36), Sominath Tulshirao Gaikwad (50), Arvind Naganath Jojat (39), Umashankar Hanuman Prasad Pandey alias Pappu (51), Sharad Kumar Mohan (46), Naresh Fattu Sharma (45), and Laxman alias Pradeep Vishwanath Dhanve (38).
This operation was masterminded by Deputy Commissioner Atul Zende, Assistant Commissioner Kalyanji Ghete, Senior Inspector Hemant Gurkh, and Inspector Ganesh Nhayade. The gang routinely terrorized victims by flashing fake badges and uniforms, the police revealed. Investigations continue to hunt down any lingering associates, underscoring the vigilance of Maharashtra’s law enforcement against rising impersonation crimes.